Rock Bottom
by Steve the Icecube
Summary: Tony has always tried his hardest to impress. But sometimes, being a superhero isn't fun at all. Especially when his life keeps getting worse and worse. He's sinking, and there's only so much time until he reaches rock bottom. But what will happen when he reaches it?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Woah, I've actually kept going with oneshots per day for... three days. Or something. This one's really short. And angsty. :)**

The stars shone brightly above him. Tony sighed. The press had been hard on him today. It was like he'd started making weapons again. He hadn't meant to destroy New York at the same time as he was saving it. Neither had any of the other Avengers.

But because he was the only one of the Avengers with an alter ego everyone knew about, he had to take the brunt of all the hate for the Avengers, though of course he also got the brunt of the fame. Though Capsicle was also getting a lot of fame, what with being an old war hero with vintage collector cards.

Tony still didn't get why Rogers still hated him. He had thought that the hate came from that Tony was a selfish jerk, which, to be honest, he kind of was. But Rogers had made a huge fuss about the whole 'lay down on the wire' thing, and in effect, Tony had done that. He'd fucking gone into space with a nuclear missile, knowing full well that JARVIS had told him that it was a one-way trip. So what if it hadn't actually been a one-way trip? He'd still done it, that was what mattered, right?

And Rogers still hated him, the press hated him, and he was pretty sure that Pepper didn't exactly love him anymore, either. She hadn't picked up, and she didn't ever stay long when she was around.

Tony's fame and life was falling away in front of his eyes, and he didn't like it. It wasn't like when he stopped manufacturing weapons, when he did that he knew it was the right choice, so none of the hate got to him. This time, it was still the right choice, but he'd wreaked New York in the process.

No, he wasn't happy anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I got a couple requests that I continue this, so I was mulling it over in bed and had a genius idea. This was pre-written to be a oneshot, but it fits in this story, sooooo... Here you go, the second chapter of Rock Bottom!**

_This is my life, and it just gets harder. It won't be long until I reach rock bottom._

So, now he had the chance to change the point of view of the press. His plan was a gamble, and it could go either way, but it would be better than the crap that SHIELD would come up with for him to say.

Yes, another one of those press conferences. It was due to start in a couple of minutes.

Tony took a deep breath, listening to the reporters come into the hall where he was to make his speech. He looked at the speech card for the first time, and sighed in exasperation. "Who wrote this rubbish, Pep?" He asked, his tone disbelieving.

Pepper's face stretched into a slight grimace. "I did, Tony. And you better follow it this time." She warned.

"I didn't deviate from it _that _much in the last Iron Man related speech!" He protested.

Pepper gave him a disapproving look. "Then why does the world know you're Iron Man?"

Tony sighed. "Fair enough. But they would have figured it out anyway. I mean, who else is such an amazing genius? But anyway, if I decide that it's complete crap that won't help me or the others at all, it gets thrown to the rabid reporters in the crowd."

Pepper gave him a small smile. "I think the rabid crowd are waiting, Mr Stark."

Tony nodded and gave her a quick kiss before entering the crowded room. He was greeted by the usual flashes of cameras, but he ignored them and went to stand at the podium. He got the speech card out of his pocket. "I've done this many times before, but last time, I'm sure you all remember that I revealed myself to the world as a superhero, so that won't be the headlines anytime soon."

A few members of the crowd laughed at this.

"Now, as you know, New York was attacked by aliens not long ago. I myself found that event very traumatic and I know that repairs have been going on all around the city. A lot of people seem to want my head because I was protecting you while the city got destroyed." Tony glanced down at the card in his hand. "Here, there is a speech that will tell you why you shouldn't blame me or any of my new superhero almost-friends." He gestured to the card in his hand as he spoke, and threw it into the crowd. Some female reporter caught it, and after, there was a lot of murmuring going through the crowd, but Tony waved his hand to silence them. "I'm gonna give you a hell of a speech though, so start listening.

"You know the members of the Avengers. The lightning god, old defrosted war hero, world's best marksman, an assassin who could find multiple ways to kill you with only her pinkie finger, massive green rage monster and a genius in a suit of armour. We accidentally wreaked New York a couple weeks ago whilst saving your sorry asses. And, apart from my partner, who lives and works with me and is sort of our babysitter, is the only person who has thanked me or anyone of us in person.

"Now, I've asked for permission from each of the Avengers to say the following things about them.

"You know Thor? He's a Norse God. Every time his father isn't ruling his home, he has to go and do it for him. We were fighting Loki, the guy who betrayed Thor only recently after believing for their whole lives that they were brothers, when it turns out they were being lied to all this time. And Thor is in love, and he went out of his way and would not help the government agency we have to listen to until she was safe.

"Hawkeye, who has the most amazing sense of humour, by the way, grew up with a drunkard, abusive father who killed his mother, spending some time in an orphanage before running away with his brother to a circus, later being betrayed by his brother and both mentors. He called the shots in that battle and he's one hundred percent human.

"Black Widow was tortured in her youth, and switched sides when Hawkeye spared her life because she didn't want to live through being bad any longer. She's mostly human, I think.

"Captain America fought in World War II. He watched his friend die, and he crashed a plane, at most likely certain death, but survived, waking up with everyone he knew dead. Me and Steve, well, we don't get on, but we managed to work that out and I actually followed an order from him, which is completely not my style.

"And then there's the Hulk. He isn't _always _the Hulk, in fact, he hates him so much that he tries desperately to keep the Hulk from the world, even if it meant, at one point, getting rid of himself. He was abused as a kid, told by his father that he was a monster and at fault for his mother's death, when in fact his father was the one who killed her.

"And, finally, there's little old me. Well, you know a lot of things about me. I've been kidnapped countless times, tortured, etc. I grew up in an unloving environment, and I tell, you, at the moment, you, the press, are making my life crap.

"So, what's the point of this speech? I'm telling you, people watching this here, and on the TV via that camera that shouldn't be filming me, no, don't turn it off, that you're blaming us, saying that you're the victims, when, in fact, we are. The Avengers are the victims."

With that, Tony left the conference hall.


End file.
